Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

News about Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including commentary and archival articles published in The New York Times.

Chronology of Coverage

Feb. 26, 2015

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study published in The New England Journal of Medicine finds deadly bacterial infection Clostridium difficile is estimated to have afflicted almost half a million Americans and caused 29,000 deaths in 2011. MORE

Feb. 21, 2015

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says 2014 death of Kansas man who suffered from fever and fatigue after a tick bite was likely caused by a new virus called Bourbon virus. MORE

Feb. 4, 2015

CDC data shows that Americans' exposure to secondhand smoke has fallen by 50 percent since 2000 as municipalities have moved to ban smoking in public places and number of smokers has declined. MORE

Jan. 23, 2015

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study finds that one-third of women ages 15-55 had an opioid painkiller prescription filled every year between 2008 and 2012; warn that practice holds a substantial risk of birth defects. MORE

Jan. 14, 2015

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Dir Dr Thomas R Frieden says Ebola outbreak in West Africa can be controlled but recovery will be fragile. MORE

Jan. 7, 2015

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report finds that on average six Americans die from alcohol poisoning each day and men between age 45 to 54 are at highest risk of death. MORE

Jan. 1, 2015

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announces creation of position of chief of laboratory safety in response to series of lab accidents, most recent of which might have exposed scientist to Ebola virus. MORE

Dec. 31, 2014

The Upshot; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says nation is having bad flu season, with many cases and many severe ones requiring hospitalization; 22 states and Puerto Rico report epidemic levels; season started early, vaccination rate was low and vaccine is only partly effective. MORE

Dec. 25, 2014

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that one of its high-security labs accidentally sent wrong samples of Ebola, possibly containing live virus, to another lab and may have exposed technician to disease; employee will be monitored for signs of infection for 21 days, with no risk to public; accident, latest incident where CDC has mishandled dangerous samples, is destroying confidence in the agency. MORE

Dec. 24, 2014

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identifies previously unknown virus, spread by ticks and mosquitoes, that led to death of Kansas farmer; microbe is named Bourbon virus, for county where patient lived. MORE

Dec. 23, 2014

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Dr Thomas R Frieden, back from 7-day trip to West Africa, says that there are reasons for continued concern about Ebola epidemic; expresses hope in progress against disease, but points to lapses in safety protocols in some countries as evidence that it may take a while to stamp out virus. MORE

Dec. 20, 2014

Centers for Disease Control issues warning against eating prepackaged caramel apples amid listeria concerns; five people have died and 21 have been hospitalized in 10 states after eating the apples. MORE

Dec. 10, 2014

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports American airports have screened nearly 2,000 travelers arriving from West African countries most affected by Ebola virus in month following beginning of enhanced screening process; only 4 percent of that total were identified for further evaluation. MORE

Dec. 5, 2014

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says current year's flu season could be deadlier than usual, and that 2014 flu vaccine is relatively poor match to new virus circulating. MORE

Dec. 2, 2014

Michael George Patterson, 59-year-old Native Alaskan lifelong smoker who is chronically ill, tells high school students in Juneau about his impending death and encourages them to avoid smoking; is one of more than two dozen people selected by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to speak out against tobacco use. MORE

Nov. 27, 2014

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that smoking rate in United States dropped to 17.8 percent in 2013, slightly lower than 18.1 percent in 2012. MORE

Nov. 21, 2014

Dr Thomas R Frieden, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director, reports good progress in fighting Ebola in Nigeria thanks to international and local efforts; suggests that international aid could similarly reduce infections in hard-hit countries of Guinea and Sierra Leone, where current infection rate is uncertain. MORE

Nov. 9, 2014

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports nearly 1,500 travelers to Caribbean region brought mosquito-borne chikungunya virus to United States in 2014; agency has issued 'watch' alert for Caribbean, warning tourists to take precautions against contracting the debilitating but rarely fatal virus; experts offer tips on how to avoid mosquitoes while traveling. MORE

Nov. 3, 2014

Kenneth Tate, former security guard at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, questions why he was fired by the agency after operating elevator for Pres Obama; Tate was carrying CDC-issued firearm at the time, and his case was used as example of failing Secret Service. MORE

Nov. 1, 2014

News analysis; polls show overwhelming majority of Americans mistrust opinions of scientists and experts when it comes to Ebola, favoring mandatory quarantine for health care workers returning from Ebola zones in West Africa and rejecting arguments to contrary; defenders of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say agency has hurt case for trusting scientists by making overly broad assurances or changing guidelines on handling Ebola. MORE

Oct. 29, 2014

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that more than 50 children in 23 states have had mysterious episodes of paralysis to their arms or legs; cause is not known, although some doctors suspect the cases may be linked to infection with enterovirus 68, respiratory virus that has sickened thousands of children. MORE

Oct. 28, 2014

Federal government announces guidelines that require people who have been in contact with Ebola patients to submit to in-person checkup and phone call from local public health authority; policy stops short of tough measures in New York and New Jersey, and officials say they were carefully devised not to harm effort to recruit badly needed medical workers to West Africa. MORE

Oct. 28, 2014

Editorial criticizes New York Gov Andrew Cuomo and New Jersey Gov Chris Christie for imposing mandatory Ebola quarantines despite lack of scientific justification, feeding panic; welcomes more level-headed monitoring rules and guidelines introduced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. MORE

Oct. 23, 2014

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention place restrictions on travelers from West African countries Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone, which all have Ebola outbreaks; new federal regulations require travelers to check in with state or local health departments and report morning and evening temperatures for three weeks, along with any other potential symptoms of the disease. MORE

Oct. 21, 2014

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issues new guidelines for protection of hospital workers caring for patients infected with Ebola, guidelines that might have prevented infection of two nurses had they been in place sooner. MORE

Oct. 18, 2014

Pres Obama continues to insist that dangers to American public over possible Ebola exposure are overstated in news media, but White House officials say he is seething over how government has handled key elements of response; he reportedly places much of blame on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for shifting and wrong information and for inadequate training on proper protective procedures for doctors and nurses. MORE

Oct. 18, 2014

Joe Nocera Op-Ed column holds that Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's handling of Ebola epidemic had tarnished reputation of agency once thought highly competent; contends CDC's approach to serious disease was too hubristic, and that such mistakes place agency among others that have earned public distrust. MORE

Oct. 17, 2014

President Obama raises possibility that he will appoint an 'Ebola czar' to manage government’s response to deadly virus as anxiety of American public grows; schools close in two states, and hospitals and airlines keep employees home from work as Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continues efforts to track people who had contact with Amber Joy Vinson, nurse infected with Ebola virus at Dallas hospital who then traveled on commercial airline flight to Cleveland. MORE

Oct. 17, 2014

Pres Obama remains at White House to focus on government's response to Ebola outbreak; cancels second day of election-season travel as administration concentrates on what is already turning into political as well as public health crisis; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Dr Thomas R Frieden undergoes sharp questioning before House committee. MORE

Oct. 17, 2014

Editorial contends Ebola cases in United States show US hospitals and public health officials have much to learn about protecting health care workers and public from possible infection; maintains mistakes by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are alarming; cautions against barring entry to people from Ebola-stricken countries, saying flight ban only makes it more likely disease would spread past porous African borders. MORE

Oct. 16, 2014

News that second nurse Amber Joy Vinson is infected with Ebola virus in Dallas and that Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cleared her to fly raises questions about officials' ability to control disease; Vinson was on medical team that cared for Ebola victim Thomas Eric Duncan after he was admitted to Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital; Vinson alerted CDC that she had a slight fever before boarding commercial flight in Cleveland. MORE

Oct. 16, 2014

Scrutiny of Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital intensifies as officials seek to calm workers and patients after second nurse Amber Joy Vinson is confirmed to have Ebola virus; there has been no comprehensive investigation to date of the hospital's missteps, but Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and Texas Dept of State Health Services are evaluating the hospital's performance. MORE

Oct. 16, 2014

Infection control experts say many American hospitals have improperly trained their staffs to deal with Ebola patients because they were following federal guidelines that were too lax; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued stricter guidelines; photos and chart highlight changes from CDC and illustrate difficulties involved in removing protective gear safely. MORE

Oct. 16, 2014

Dr Thomas R Frieden, director of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and nation’s top public health official, has become face of Obama administration's flawed response to Ebola in United States; Frieden is likely to face withering questions about his record during a congressional hearing. MORE

Oct. 15, 2014

Dr Thomas R Frieden, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director, acknowledges for first time that quicker and more concerted action on agency's part might have kept Dallas nurse from contracting Ebola virus; says agency plans a more robust response to any future Ebola cases in American hospitals. MORE

Oct. 14, 2014

Transmission of Ebola virus to Dallas nurse Nina Pham forces Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to reconsider its approach to containing the disease; state and federal officials are re-examining whether equipment and procedures are adequate or too loosely followed, and whether more decontamination steps are necessary when health workers leave isolation units. MORE

Oct. 13, 2014

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say agency will take new steps to help hospital workers protect themselves, providing more training and urging hospitals to practice dealing with potential Ebola patients. MORE

Oct. 8, 2014

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention scrambles to address concerns from health workers nationwide as anxiety mounts over Ebola virus; agency has scheduled two nationwide conference calls, but has so far not changed its recommendations on protective gear. MORE

Oct. 8, 2014

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials promise additional measures to screen airline passengers arriving in United States for Ebola virus; remain opposed to draconian travel restrictions such as outright bans, saying that they would cause more problems than they would solve. MORE

Oct. 7, 2014

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirms that New Jersey boy Eli Waller was infected with enterovirus 68, which resulted in his death; first reported fatality definitively caused by the virus has stirred fears among parents, despite the reassurances of public health and education officials; anxiety, in part, stems from fact that symptoms associated with the virus resemble those of a common cold. MORE

Oct. 5, 2014

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it has assessed more than 100 possible Ebola cases, but only confirmed case is in Dallas, where condition of the man, Thomas E Duncan, has been changed from serious to critical. MORE

Oct. 2, 2014

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announces that at least four people carrying the enterovirus 68 virus have died, but is is unclear to what extent the virus contributed to their deaths; enterovirus 68 has sickened people in more than 40 states. MORE

Oct. 1, 2014

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that man who took commercial flight from Liberia that landed in Dallas on September 20 has been found to have Ebola virus; man, whose identity is not released, is first traveler to have brought virus to United States on a passenger plane and first person in whom Ebola has been diagnosed outside of Africa in current outbreak. MORE

Oct. 1, 2014

Federal health officials are asking nation’s physicians to report all cases of children with limb weakness to determine whether there is a link to enterovirus 68, which is sickening thousands. MORE

Sep. 28, 2014

Centers for Disease Control urges tourists to avoid areas of West Africa where Ebola virus has spread. MORE

Sep. 25, 2014

Many Ebola victims are dying at home because of severe shortage of treatment centers in Monrovia, Liberia, infecting family members, neighbors and others in a ballooning circle of contagion; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that Liberia and Sierra Leone, two West African nations hardest hit by the outbreak, could face 1.4 million infections by Jan 20, more than 10 percent of their combined populations of about 10.3 million. MORE

Sep. 24, 2014

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention release set of ominous projections about Ebola epidemic in West Africa, giving worst- and best-case estimates for Liberia and Sierra Leone; report finds that in the worst-case scenario, two countries could have total of 1.4 million cases by January, outcome that could be almost fully averted with a robust containment effort. MORE

Sep. 3, 2014

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises American colleges and universities, and any students or staff arriving from nations hit by Ebola virus, to take extended precautions against spreading disease; maximum incubation period for virus before symptoms appear is 21 days. MORE

Aug. 26, 2014

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 263,000 middle school and high school students in the United States have tried e-cigarettes but not traditional cigarettes in 2013, about 60 percent increase from 2012. MORE

Aug. 20, 2014

Dr Joanne Liu, president of Doctors Without Borders, urges health agencies like the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control to step up their efforts to combat Ebola outbreak in Africa, saying they have not yet grasped the magnitude of the disaster; organization is treating more patients in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone than any other entity. MORE

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